Coat hanger and sleeve wrinkle remover



Feb. 26, 1952 E. BLACKMAN COAT HANGER AND SLEEVE WRINKLE REMOVER Filed NOV. 7, 1947 17 INVENTOR. fan APO L. SLACK/WAN Patented F eb. 26, 1952 COAT HANGER AND SLEEVE WRINKLE RElt'IOVER Edward L. Blackman, Greenwich, oonn. Application November 7, 1947, Serial No. 784,677

4 Claims. (Cl. 223--72) This invention relates to a device for applyin a certain pressure to coat sleeves and the like in order to remove wrinkles and preserve the creases of the same.

' He'retofore devices of this character have been bulky, expensive to make and difficult to adjust.

One of the'objects of this invention is to provide a coat sleeve stretcher which is simple in form and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a coat sleeve stretcher which is'easily adjusted in thesleeve and which will, within a short period of time after it is applied, remove all wrinkles and creases from the sleevewhile preserving the tailormade crease.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coat'sleevedewrinkler which will smooth out the cloth of the, sleeve where most subject to wrinkles, yet will not stretch the fabric of the sleeve and thus render the sleeve misshapen, or put any substantial strain on any other part of the garment.

Further objectsand advantages will be apparent from the following specifications and the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is at vertical, longitudinal section of a sleeve with an embodiment of the invention in place therein;

Fig. 2 is a view similar form of the invention.

7 Referring to Fig. l, of the drawing, l is the out- ,side and rear edge of vthe fabric of the sleeve as it falls draped from the shoulder when the coat hangs on a coat hanger 2. 3 is the cloth of the opposite portion oflthecoat sleeve and 4 is the seam between the body of the coat and the sleeve forming the armhole. 5 are the jaws of a spring pinch clamp which is applied to the cloth of the sleeve 3 and that of the body of the coat at a point on the seam 4 and inside the armhole by squeezing together the tabs 6 thus opening the clamp and then releasing the pressure so that the spring jaws 5 clamp firmly on the cloth material on to Fig. l of an alternate either side of the seam 4. I is a swivel joint on lower portion of the tube 9 is, a coiled compression spring l2 which abuts the closed end of the tube l3. Secured rigidly to the closed end I 3 is a fiat spring wire I 4 which projects downwardly and outwardly from the tube 9 and then projects downwardly in line substantially parallel with the rod 8 and tube 9 at l 5.

' weighing between 1 and 2 pounds in its The straightened portion I5 of the spring I4 is covered by a jacket 16 of rubber or some other material of high frictional character. At the base of the straightened portion l5 the spring wire is curved inwardly at I! so as to form thumb and finger holds. I

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawing, the hanger 2 has aflixed to its bottom cross bar l8 a length of cord or chain l9 and afiixed to the cord or chain IS a suitable distance from this cross bar is a clamp of the type represented by 5 and 6 of Fig. 1 At the lower extremity of the cord or chain I9 is afiixed the spring wire [4 similar to H, straightened section I6 and thumb or finger holds H, but in addition to this the cord or chain l9 at its lower extremity has also afiixed to it a suitable weight 20 made of lead or other heavy material preferred form.

- armhole. The jaws 5 of the clamp are then the spring clamp to which is attached the substantially rigid rod 8. The rod 8 is slidably inserted in the tube 9 through end opening 9' in which it works andthe end opposite the swivel joint has an annular disk In afilxed to it, so that the disk will snugly and yet slidably fit in the tube 9. The walls of tube 9 are turned inwardly at II so that the rod 8, when the disk l0 meets this inwardly bent portion, is stopped and cannot escape from the tubular section. Within the opened by the application of pressure to the tabs 6, a portion of the fabric forming the front edge of the armhole inserted between the jaws, the jaws are released and thereby the clamp is firmly afiixed to the material of the sleeve 3 and jacket at their inner seam point 4. Since there is nothing to compress the coiled spring l2 it remains in its expanded position so that the disk I0 is in contact with the indentation I l of the tube 9 and the dewrinkler is in its greatest expanded position which is much longer than the sleeve of any normal garment, the wire l4 protruding from the sleeve. Next the thumb or finger loops I! are grasped and forced toward each other against the tension of the spring wire I4, which allows the operator to push the portion thereof [3, l4, l5, l6, l1,"within the sleeve againstthe pressure of the coiled spring I2 and compress that spring as the rod Band the tube 9 telescope one within the other. When the flattened portion [5V is just within the, sleeve the inward pressure on the spring wire 14 is released by relaxing pressure on the thumb or finger holds I! thus" allowin straightened portion l5 covered by theiricinner surfaces of the sleeve material I and 3, pref-v erably so that one of the straight portions l5 with its accompanying cover I6 is positioned within the crease placed in back portion of the sleeve by the tailor, or in proximity thereto and the other straight portion i5 is positioned against the opposite portion of the sleeve.

It will now be seen that the pressure of the coiled spring 12 tends to eject the rod 8 from the tube 9 but is restrained from so doing by the clamp on the upper seam 4 and the frictionally engaged spring wire l4 and its coacting parts [5 and I6. Thus the front portion of the sleeve material is retained under a mild, lengthwise ten.-' sion which ends to eliminate all unsightly wrinkles.

Fig. 2 of the invention merely substitutes a cord or chain (9 and a gravity weight 20 for the spring tension elements 8, 9, in, H, l2. and 13 of Fig. 1.

The section 19 of the cord or chain of Fig. 2 isv designed to suspend the clamp from the hanger and is of such length that the clamp hangs opposite the middle of the front portion of the armhole. The cord I9 is designed merely to keep together the clamp and the weight. To position this modified form the bottom member 14-, etc. is dropped down through the armhole, after the upper ends of the parts ll which are turned laterally toward each other have been pressed past each other and interlocked so as to hold the spring l4 compressed. The spring l4 after having fallen through the cuff. (the cord l9" being. longer than the distance between. the clamp and the bottom of the sleeve) is then reinserted inside the bottom of the sleeve and permittedto expand so that the friction member l6 will engage. opposite sides of the cuff inside.

When the spring. and weight 20 have been positioned as above, the clamp is fastened to the middle portion of the front of the seam forming the armhole, just as was. described above in respect to Fig. 1. When these operations have been performed, the weight at the bottom of the sleeve is. suspended by the fabric of the sleeve between the weight and theclamp and such fabric is thereby subjected to a moderate pull similar to that produced by the compression spring. .in Fig. 1. However, in order to prevent the pull occasinned. by the weight. 29 from. being communicateed to other portions of the coat than that between 25 and. the clamp, the cord l9 suspends the clamp from the hanger and is taut, thus makin the hanger take the pull of the weight 20. The cord i9 is, of course, slack when the weight 20 is. in positionin the coat sleeve.

Asthe objective is to apply the pullor stretchi'rig feature to the shorter and front portion of the sleeve and not to the back portion, it will probably be desirable to so arrange the spring and weight. 21'? that the weight is on that part 4 the clamp affixed to the armhole seam and having the rod 8 extend to the coat-hanger, and afiixed thereto. ihis and the other modified form here suggested are not specifically claimed, but are included in the genus covered by some of the claims.

Another modification may do away with the clamp and with the connecting expansion spring between. the clamp and i3 and spring 14 using only the spring l4, substantially as shown in Fig. 1, except that it is weighted upon the side which comes in contact with forward Part 3 of the sleeve.

Either of the last two variations suggested will apply the pull or longitudinal stretching desired, but in each case the pull on the garment is not confined or substantially confined to the portion of the sleeve which it is sought to stretch.

What I claim is:

1. The combination in a coat hanger and sleeve dewrinkler of a clamp adapted to engage the front inside portion of the cloth surrounding the armhole of a coat and adapted to be manually engaged and disengaged therewith, an expansible and manually contractible member for engaging frictionally the cuif of the sleeve of said coat on the inside, means connected with said member and clamp for exerting pressure on the cloth surrounding the arm-hole. of a coat and tension on thesleeve between said "clamp and cuff e n gaging member.

,2. Thecombination in a coat hanger and sleeve dewrinkler of a member adapted to engage the upper front inside portion of a coat and adapted to bev manually engaged and disengaged. therewith, an expansible and .manually contra'ctible member for engagingthe cuff of the saidslee've inside, means connectedwith said members, for exerting pressure, onihejfirst member and tension on the sleeve between themv comprising a compressible spring and a spring compressing rod. in line therewith positioned between said members whereby movement of. the said second member upward of the sleeve and toward the first member compresses the spring and causes tension on the sleeve to a degree corresponding with said movement.

3. The combination in a coat hanger and sleeve dewrinkler of a clamp adapted to engage the front inside portion of the cloth surrounding the armhole of. the coat and adapted-to be manually engaged and disengagedtherewith, said clamp being suspended from the hanger by acord or chain of such length that the clamp hangs opposite the front portion of the armhole of the coat,

to, be affixed to the cloth surrounding the armhole ofthe sleeve insuch manner that the cord orchain is taut when the coat is hanging in natural position, an eapansible and manually. contractible member for engaging the cuff of the sleeve of said coat from the inside thereof, a

weightapplied to the portion of said expansible of the spring which rests against the forward I portion of the sleeve.

The member- 14, ll however, may be identical in form with the member 14, and in that case the clamp 5 will be inserted through the sleeve bottom.

Various modifications may be made in the details of construction of. the exemplary embodiment herein shown and described without departing from the scope andv purport of the invention.

One modification consists in doing 'away with and contractible member upon the side or edge thereof, which comes in contact with the front portion of the sleeve for exerting amoderate pull upon, the bottom of the sleeve andaymoderate tension on the portionof the sleeve between said clamp and said expansible and contractible .m m e 4. The combination in'a coat hanger and sleeve dewrinkler of a clamp adapted to engage the front inside portion of the cloth surrounding the armhole of the coat and adapted to bemanually engaged and disengaged therewith, saidclatnp being suspended from the hanger by a cord or chain of such length that the clamp hangs 0pposite the front portion of the armhole of the coat, to be affixed to the cloth surrounding the armhole of the sleeve in such manner that the cord or chain is taut when the coat is hanging in natural position, an expansible and manually contractible member for engaging the cufi of the sleeve of said coat from the inside thereof, a weight applied to the portion of said expansible and contractible member upon the side or edge thereof, which comes in contact with the front portion of the sleeve as well as the rear portion thereof for exerting a moderate pull upon the bottom of the sleeve and a moderate tension on the portion of the sleeve between said clamp and said expansible and contractibl-e member, without exerting any substantial pull or stress upon any other part of the garment, except the front and inner portion of the sleeve between the lower extremity thereof and the shoulder.

EDWARD L. BLACKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

